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bodybuilding

American  
[bod-ee-bil-ding] / ˈbɒd iˌbɪl dɪŋ /
Or body-building,

noun

  1. the act or practice of exercising, lifting weights, etc., so as to develop the muscles of the body.


Etymology

Origin of bodybuilding

1900–05; from the verb phrase build ( up one's ) body; see -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

And so now with bodybuilding, because my body has protected my soul my whole life, I’m honoring my body now.

From The Wall Street Journal May 22, 2026

As a youth, Rodríguez Castro spent much of his time at his grandfather’s house enthralled with the macho atmosphere of guns and bodybuilding prevalent in Raúl Castro’s security detail.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 14, 2026

In 2022, Baena competed on Season 31 of “Dancing With the Stars” and used his bodybuilding chops to pull off challenging lifts, basically bench-pressing his partner Alexis Warr mid-tango.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 9, 2026

"He built a name for himself in professional bodybuilding and acting and he used that platform for ultimate good."

From BBC Mar. 30, 2026

The logo was a cartoon of this giant bodybuilding bulldog wearing wraparound sunglasses and smoking a cigar and flexing his muscles.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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